Chapter 1

On the streets were cars driving to their destinations while five speeding vehicles appeared out of nowhere. Music boomed from their cars while the highway patrol chased them. I started my engine and followed the racers. After some time, the racers, who we were my partners, and I swerved onto a dirty road.

I smashed the front of my car into the rear of a police vehicle in hopes of the driver swerving out of control. One by one, each police car was out of action. We all knew they would call for reinforcements, so we didn't stay there long. It was about five minutes before we approached our home. I slowed down beside the grey painted warehouse. We all stepped out of our cars and formed a circle.

"Do you have it?" I asked, eagerly.

"You betcha', Jack," the cowboy of the group, Josh, replied. He pulled out a diamond out of his car. It was about the size of newborn's fist.

"It's a beauty, ain't it?" the shortest of my partners, Frank, asked us. I can't believe we got a hold of this. I'd hate to say it, but I wish the cops would have put up more of a fight, they bore me sometimes.

"I reckon we should move to a different town eh?" Josh said, adjusting his cowboy hat.

"Agreed, say, didn't you used to have a farm?" Trey asked his friend.

"Yeah, it's a few hours away, we should probably head down there tonight. What'd you guys think?" Josh folded his arms, looking at the others.

"Should we head down now?" Tom questioned.

"Nah, we'd best head at dark," Josh reasoned.

"Those cops will be onto us anytime soon, they'll be sure to search the whole forest for us," Trey stated, pointing in the last place we saw the police. We heard some bushes behind us.

"Hands in the air!" I heard an official yelled.

"They've found us already," Tom said, surprised.

"Don't get caught, find somewhere safe!" Matt exclaimed. I started running to my car, not paying attention to any of my comrades.

"Take them down, none of them escape!" the lead officer ordered. I jumped in my vehicle, taking cover from the bullets coming my direction. I finally looked back. I saw Matt struggling against the police officers. They were putting handcuffs on him. Trey was nowhere to be seen. I saw Josh nail a few officers to the ground before booking it. The others were in the cars, zooming off. I decided to do the same.

I floored the gas pedal and nearly crashed into a couple trees. It was only seconds before I flew onto the city road. I almost reached eighty. If I crash, I'm dead. I swerved around cars left and right. A roadblock was planted on the street not far away. Regrettably, I slammed on the breaks. I and pushed open the car door. I started to run, but unfortunate for me . . . I tripped. I have not felt this much disappoint in myself. I didn't leave the police in the dust, and I tripped. How could this get any worse?

In a heartbeat, police officers were on me, the quickly put handcuffs on my wrists. He then started to recite his stupid "poem" of the "you have the right to remain silent" crap.

The officer shoved me aggressively into his car. I watched the buildings go by. Why does this have to happen, we had the diamond in our hands! Before I knew it, the car slowed to a halt. I looked over to see the old city jail. The police officer jerked me out of my seat and forced me in the jail entrance. I saw my companions just inside the building. I didn't see Trey or Josh. Good, they must have gotten away, but why did they get almost all of us.

"Corporals, escort these men down to the cell area," a sergeant ordered. Four officers herded us down some stairs. I looked at the jail cells in dismay. I will be in one of those soon. One of the corporals looked at us.

"Okay, so this is what's going to happen. You will spend a lifetime in prison. You will be transferred to a much, worse place. But for now, you will stay here," the officer explained.

"Willy, go upstairs to the sergeant, I think he wanted something," the second corporal informed the other.

"Yes, he wanted to look at some paperwork I had turned in," he responded, walking up the stairs. There was multiple thumps.

"Did you see that . . . ?" a voice asked.

"What?" I looked around confused.

"Exactly. . . ." the voice said. Two of the three cops were suddenly slammed against the wall. One was having his head smash into the wall until he fell to the ground. The other seemed as if he was getting punched in the stomach. The corporal beside us pulled out his pistol, but his arm was swung in the air and was pushed backwards. The officer hit his head on the concrete floor. He didn't move. The strange thing is that I didn't see anything during all of this.

"What the heck just happened?" Matt's eyes widened in surprise. Before we could do anything some kind of energy was zapping on a figure, the shape then turned into a person in some sort of armor.

"Boo," he laughed. All of us jumped backward. "Come with me, I'll be sure you're safe and sound back at base."

"What makes us think we want to come with you?" Matt inquired. The figure then took off his mask so we could see his face.

"If you don't come with me, you will be killed by the Zerg, follow me, you're not safe here. There are snipers in every building and you need to do everything I tell you to," the stranger said, "I've already cleared this building of your everyday officers."

We followed him outside the building. There was plenty of cover outside. We moved stealthily to some trees. Matt was still in the building, trying to look for keys to take off our handcuffs.

"Matt, get over here!" Frank hissed. Some officers were heading to the old jail entrance. They were aiming their weapons in the direction of the door. The soon started to fire. We could hear Matt's screams. The stranger was frowning.

"Why didn't he follow us?" he questioned.

"I don't know, he must have been looking for the keys," Tom stammered. The stranger rubbed his temples and pulled out a number of keys. He looked at us with a serious look.

"We have to leave now, they will find us soon. I told you guys to follow my every direction," the stranger said, turning away and running. I stared at the building for a second longer, How could he die? Why this way? I could have checked to see if he was behind us. I turned around to follow the man who had saved us.

"Why didn't he get out of the building?" Tom asked, shocked at his friend's death. The stranger soon stopped, he tossed the keys he was holding to us.

"By the way, I'm Dustin," the man introduced himself. We told him our names, helping each other take off the handcuffs at the same time, "The reason why I came to save you is because the Teal Terran needs you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Dustin looked at me.

"I'm a ghost in the Teal Terran army; we are fighting aliens known as the Zerg, that will soon invade your planet, Blackburn."

"I need to find Josh and Trey, to make sure they're alright," Tom said.

"I understand that, we can help you find him if you join our army. Whether you come with me or not, you will face the Zerg," Dustin told my friend, "But I understand you want to find you partners."

"I'll go with you, I can help find Trey and Josh there," Frank said. The ghost nodded approvingly. He looked at me for my answer.

"I'm going with Frank," I said. Tom nodded to us, a little disappointed we weren't going with him. After another second, he ran off into the forest.

"Let's go, I want to get to base as soon as I can. I hope we can get you into training by tomorrow night. The Green Zerg won't stop growing," Dustin said, hurrying north.

"So, what exactly are we getting into?" Frank questioned.

"I'm glad you asked that," the ghost turned to him, "My friend, the Teal Terran is an army that fights aliens. I know, it sounds cheesy, but there is much more to it."

"So your telling me aliens actually exist, and you fight them?" I inquired.

"Well yes," the Terran answered,

"Look buddy, aliens aren't real," Frank said.

"You'll see," Dustin snickered, "You'll see . . ."